Former Detroit Tigers Pitcher Suddenly Passes Away in Tragic Accident
The Detroit Tigers received some sad news on Tuesday after learning that former relief pitcher Octavio Dotel suddenly passed away.
Dotel, 53, died during a tragic accident Tuesday morning in the Dominican Republic. According to the Dominican National Police, Dotel was one of over 60 people who lost their lives when the roof of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo collapsed during a concert.
Former MLB player Tony Blanco and Nelson Cruz’s sister, Nelsy, were also among the casualties. Approximately 160 people were injured in the accident as well.
Dotel pitched for 13 different Major League teams (second-most all-time) during his 15-year career from 1999 to 2013, including the Tigers. The team’s social media account shared a post mourning his loss on X.
Dotel spent his final two seasons with Detroit, joining the Tigers after winning the 2011 World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals. Detroit was his 13th MLB team, setting a record that was later broken by Edwin Jackson in 2019.
The veteran righty immediately returned to the Fall Classic in 2012, helping the Tigers win the American League pennant. He contributed five scoreless innings during their playoff run, including 1.2 shutout innings in their World Series loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Dotel came back with Detroit for the 2013 campaign, but missed most of the year with right elbow inflammation after helping the Dominican Republic win the World Baseball Classic. He appeared in just six games that season with a 13.50 ERA and did not pitch in the playoffs.
He made his final MLB appearance on April 19, 2013, against the Los Angeles Angels, although he didn’t officially announce his retirement until after the 2014 season.
